July 9, 2013

What Life Is Really Like

We watched the sunset over the glistening lake, sitting on a bench perfectly tucked underneath a billowing tree and listened to the birds chirp and geese splash around in the water.

The evening was so romantic and I was sitting next to....my friend Erin.

She and I laughed at how ironic it seemed for two 23 year old girls to be sharing such a romantic scenery. She wasn't sitting with some hunk of a man, just me, a fellow twenty-something female trying to grasp her bearings in a new city too.

It was one of those sarcastic - bantering moments that brought about more laughter when we processed out loud what life after college really looks like.

From spontaneous sand volleyball matches with groups of eight or more friends, waking up at 5AM to get free pancakes from Denny's, camping in the woods, throwing dance parties and raves in the library during finals week... to now discussing what t.v. shows we're watching. We laughed when I excitedly shared that I found a good show on Netflix that had SIX seasons, "My social life is set for at least eight weeks".

I'm glad we could laugh about it, because post grad life hasn't been an easy transition for any of us. Being in your twenties is harder than I thought it would ever be, and college really was "the best time of my life", as my dad told me it would be as I moved into my dorm room freshman year.

We joked about starting a blog where we documented the funny and ironic realities of post grad life. Specifically how leaving our small, Christian liberal arts university and entering the big bad world has continued to glean many "this is reality" moments.

Our blog: The new adventures and exciting discoveries of post-grads living in Dallas, Texas!

Featuring the things that really excite us like, receiving a text message saying, "Hey, raspberries are on sale at Kroger for 99 cents!", being excited about waking up before 7AM to watch Good Morning America and discovering a new dating world.

It would be a huge hit!

Our sunset conversation turned serious however, when we talked about the fact that we're not doing grandiose things with our lives. I was a nanny and now looking for a job, Erin works in admissions at a seminary and Lauren is an office manager at a marketing agency.

We're not starting orphanages in Africa, or taking the corporate world by storm by changing business for the better.

We are just one of many post graduates, worried about paying off student loans, trying to make friends in a new city, figuring out who we are in this environment and hoping for our futures.

It's truly a humbling stage in life and even if Erin isn't "cool" for working at a seminary and I fit the recent college graduate statistic that hasn't found a job yet, our worth and abilities aren't defined by job titles (or by having one).

And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17

The fact is that the way we live our lives matters to this world. Our message, matters. To serve and live for Jesus you don't have to have a grand job title. It takes humility and surrender to His will, His way.

We just might miss out on the greatest work of our lives if we become too concerned about what others think and how little it seems we are doing to make a difference.

Our university brought in speakers from around the world to talk about XYZ organization that they started, famous authors and business men and women to inspire and encourage the young generation to make a difference in our world.

What about the twenty-something alumna's who work entry level jobs, volunteer to teach Sunday school and still live with their parents. Aren't they making a difference, just by choosing to serve Jesus wherever He has them?

Yes, they are.

We are called to live as His representatives, whether you're working at your dream job or a fast food restaurant. Give thanks and whatever you do, do it all to the best of your ability for His glory.